Monday 5/20/2024: Catching Up on the News; Mind the Moon Void

It’s Monday, and the Libra Moon has been void since 11:48 AM ET on Sunday, about when I started writing this forecast. Moon in Libra needs to be appreciated for being fair, attractive, and people-pleasing, and this need could be running wild — at least until 6:34 PM ET, when Moon enters Scorpio. Depth and substance are what Moon in Scorpio seeks, all the better for maintaining power and control. We may have a power play or catharsis around 10:33 PM ET, as Moon squares Pluto.

In honor of the Moon void, during which we have a higher probability of flakes and twists, this week’s forecast is being sent in at least two parts — a twist! — and here’s why.

On Saturday I finally posted a forecast on Substack — which is something I’ve wanted to do since forever.  I’m excited about creating a forum where Avid Readers may contribute to an intelligent discourse on the astro-logic of These Interesting Times.My Substack page — a.k.a. “Why Now News” (unless I think of something I like better) — is still a work in progress, which is why you received this email via Mailchimp. But soon I will be delivering the astonishing synchronicity of planetary patterns and the news via Substack. If you received this forecast via email, there’s nothing you need to do. If you don’t receive this forecast via email,  please find me on Substack.

Happily, these changes  reflect the astro-logic of your intrepid reporter having Mercury, Ascendant, and Midheaven eclipsed in March and April, with those eclipse placements activated this month by transiting Mars. Astrology is amazing.

On Sunday (yesterday) I started writing this…

Astrology batted 1.000 this week. It always does, but my notebook seems especially crammed with stories reflecting these intense planetary patterns:

• Sun conjunct Uranus in Taurus — disruption in matters of leaders, aviation, technology
• Venus in Taurus sextile Saturn in Pisces — cooperation among women/art/money and business/authority
• Mercury square Pluto — investigative journalists have a field day;  ruthless shredding in thought and communication
• Venus conjunct Uranus — shocks and/or innovation in money, women, art, social expression
• Sun conjunct Jupiter — in Taurus — big, big, big news involving leaders and all things Taurus (food, money, material comfort, sensual pleasures, cows)
• Sun sextile Neptune — themes of sacrifice, idealism, deception among leaders
• A 30-hour Libra Moon void — starting on Sunday afternoon; I’m writing in it now
• Mars — the energy of action, assertion, desire, and aggression — is running wild all week in Aries — headstrong & impulsive
• Sun, Venus, Jupiter & Uranus all at the end of Taurus, activating a few fixed starts (Algol, Alcyone & Capulus). We see the potential for sorrow and losing one’s head, with women likely driving the narrative
• Neptune is at the verrrrrry end of Pisces — it may feel like the end of the world, surreal and scandalous; who knows what to believe

Here are the stories:

• “Gina Rinehart, Australia’s richest woman, demands gallery remove ‘unflattering’ portrait”  Losing her head over a shocking piece of art, are we? But wait, there’s more!
• Surrealist “Leonora Carrington painting auctioned for 22.5 million pounds in record for UK-born female artist.” Isn’t that fun? Told you last week we’d see big news in money matters and women who mean business…and speaking of big money, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 40,000 for the first time ever, and historian Heather Cox Richardson has more on that story.
• Surprise! “Supreme Court saves consumer protection agency after a challenge from conservatives and the payday lending industry” — the CFPB is the “brainchild” of Senator Elizabeth Warren, who may be feeling especially rewarded with transiting Pluto on her Jupiter in humanitarian Aquarius. Translation: extremes of power and resources can be had.  Warren has Sun-Uranus at 0 Cancer (an Aries Point degree); she was born to attract attention for being a maverick. One day maybe we will discover her birth time. Did you know that Warren and Meryl Streep share a birthday?

Back to the world of leaders…art…and disruption, for better or worse:

• “Charles III unveils first royal portrait as King. Is it too red?”  I don’t know, but the red and the shock value are right in sync with the King’s horoscope. Avid Readers may recall His Majesty has been in a cycle that is apt for being disrupted (e.g. his recent cancer diagnosis) and/or disruptive. Transiting Uranus has been opposing his Scorpio Sun, with the third of three hits exact on May 1st. Not only that, but on April 30, transiting Mars was at the Aries Point, demanding attention as it made contact with Charles’ natal Jupiter-Uranus opposition, also at the Aries Point.  His natal Jupiter is at 29 Sagittarius; he’s bound to push boundaries; Uranus is at 29 Gemini; he’s bound to grab attention for a fierce independence. But…why this color red? One astrological correlation is that Charles’ Midheaven (his professional and public status) is 13 Aries, and the color of Aries (and Mars) is RED. This portrait (three years in the making), was unveiled with the North Node at 13 Aries, exactly on the Midheaven! Contact between the Nodes and significant placements in the horoscope do “coincide” with publicity, if you ask me. Transiting Neptune is at 29 Pisces, also activating that Jupiter-Uranus opposition. When asked, the artist said his intention was to minimize the bright red of Charles’ uniform — which arguably would have taken the viewer’s attention away from Charles’ face. Neptune dissolves and/or blurs whatever it touches; here it has dissolved Charles’ uniform. Perhaps the delicate butterfly on Charles’ shoulder reflects that Neptune transit, not to mention Charles’ natal Venus-Neptune conjunction in Libra that sits at the root of his horoscope.Finally, the Jupiter-Uranus opposition in his horoscope just activated his Midheaven by solar arc (another way astrologers measure time).

I wish I had known more about how astrology is reflected in art when I was in college. The papers I wrote for art history classes would have been even more provocative (and insightful).

Another story of unconventional art and women (Venus conjunct Uranus in Taurus). We could add the empowered potential suggested by last week’s square between Mercury (words) and Pluto (empowerment; relentless):

• “”One Japanese Word Changed the Course of Her Career. Devin Halbal had amassed hundreds of thousands of TikTok followers with her inspirational videos…” What happened next is so perfect for Venus in Taurus (food; women) conjunct Uranus (lightning in a bottle).

Speaking of Mercury square Pluto, last week we anticipated it would reflect “news from underground,” with investigative reporters having a field day:

• “From denial to admission: How a (2016) surveillance tape held Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs accountable” (for savagely assaulting his girlfriend). Alas, it seems the statute of limitations apparently prevents criminal charges from being filed.

• “Justice Alito’s home flew flag upside down after Trump’s election fraud claims, report says”.  This happened in mid-January 2021, after the January 6 attempted coup, and when “the court was still considering whether to take up cases over the 2020 election.” Judges are supposed to be impartial; the display of this flag would be a clear indication that Alito is not, and thus should recuse himself from certain cases. Instead, he dug in his heels and blamed his wife. Take a look at Alito’s horoscope (which has been covered many times in the past 10 years). Note his Venus-Jupiter conjunction in Aquarius, squared last week by transiting Sun and Jupiter on Algol. His 1 Capricorn Ascendant is on the Aries Point, squared by natal Mars and opposed by natal Uranus — his daring, possibly reckless assertions can’t help but grab our attention. Transiting Saturn just made the first of three uncomfortable oppositions to his natal Saturn-Moon conjunction in perfection-seeking Virgo. Moon rules his 7th house of partnerships; no wonder he blamed his wife. Transiting Mars just met up with his Aries Sun and will connect with his Mercury momentarily; this suggests provocative thoughts and communication. Significant placements in his horoscope will be affected by multiple eclipses over the next 18 months, suggesting that it is one to watch.

In other news…

• “I honest to God believe I was drugged.” David Copperfield’s alleged victims speak out”.  Add the famous magician’s horoscope to the long list of those with significant planets at the Aries Point, demanding attention. For him it is a nearly 28-degree Virgo Ascendant and Gemini Midheaven, so he’s been receiving the wipe-out potential of Neptune as it hits all angles of his horoscope (like Rudy Giuliani and, sadly, Alexei Navalny). Let’s watch and see where these allegations are at mid-October and mid-January, when transiting Neptune will hit those angles again.

Speaking of Giuliani…the man who was virtually caught with his pants down in Borat: Subsequent Movie Film :

• “Giuliani’s indictment papers served at his 80th birthday party after mocking Arizona Attorney General” (on social media, which gave away his location).  Neptune hits all the angles of his horoscope in early June and late July — then returns for a third pass in March of 2025, with still more hits to come later that year. Cue the Wicked Witch of the West’s famous penultimate words now, please.

More disruptions among leaders…

• Robert Fico, the Slovakian PM (reportedly “no stranger to violence”) is still in the hospital after an attempted assassination attempt.
• On Sunday 5/19, just before the Moon – Mars opposition, a helicopter carrying Ebrahim Raisi (Iran’s president) crashed.  There were no survivors. 
•  “Taiwan’s new president to take office as China says independence and peace are like water and fire.“

Taurus refers to bulls and cows –– and maybe bison, too.

• “Herd of 170 bison could help store CO2 equivalent of 43,000 cars, researchers say.”  With Uranus in Taurus, we appreciate the potential for innovative technology in matters of saving Mother Earth.

I will have more news to share in the next forecast, which will include the usual Sneak Peek at the Week and insights on Thursday’s Full Moon.

Until then, I leave you with a clip from SNL’s Weekend Update, i.e., the customary joke swap anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che do in the final episode of each season. Here we have the surprise factor of Venus-Uranus in Taurus, as neither have seen the jokes the other has written for them to read on live TV. Representing the Sun’s lovely sextile to Neptune (matters of spirit and leaders), a woman rabbi listens in.

Here’s 411 on personal consultations.

Thank you for supporting this forecast — and sharing it with your friends.

It was a delight to see this photo of Leonora Carrington (on the right) in a spontaneous (Venus-Uranus conjunct in Taurus) visit to NYC’s Met museum on Friday night. Carrington has four planets in Aries, with Neptune opposed by transiting Pluto this week. Translation: empowered vision = big sale.